Preview: Arsenal v. Birmingham City

Robin van Persie opened the scoring in this fixture last year. Pic via Guardian.
 
Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, October 16

15:00 BST, 10:00 a.m. EDT

• Referee: Martin Atkinson
• This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 3 - 1 Birmingham City
• All-Time in All Competitions: 57 Arsenal wins, 38 Birmingham wins, 35 draws
• Arsenal's Recent Form: W-W-W-D-L-L
• Birmingham's Recent Form: W-D-D-L-D-L

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red
updated Friday

Fabianski
Eboue - Djourou - Squillaci - Clichy
Song - Denilson
Wilshere - Nasri - Arshavin
Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Gibbs, Diaby, Rosicky, Bendtner, Walcott, Vela
Out: Koscielny (back) Sagna (thigh), Almunia (elbow), Fabregas (hamstring), Vermaelen (Achilles), Walcott (ankle), Van Persie (ankle), Ramsey (broken leg)

Arsenal News and Notes

• Still no Cesc Fabregas. Maybe midweek in the Champions League.
• Still no Manuel Almunia either, so let's pray for another solid showing from Fabianski. Is three in a row asking for too much from an Arsenal 'keeper with a... ahem, history?
• Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna are each about ten days away from returning, which could put them short for the trip to Manchester City on the 24th. How lovely.
• Laurent Koscielny has picked up a back injury in training and will not appear in this match.
• Am I more sarcastic than normal in this preview so far? It has been a while since we've posted; thank you, international break.
• Good news is the returning list: Nicklas Bendtner is back! So is Kieran Gibbs! Theo Walcott passed his fitness test and returns as well. Probably at least two more weeks for Striker van GlassAnkle Robin van Persie. Aaron Ramsey is back in training! HUZZAH!
• Arsenal have dropped points in three straight league matches for the first time since dropping points in four straight toward the end of last season.
• Arsenal has lost two straight, a fate they suffered four times last year, but they never lost three straight. You would have to go back to March 18 to April 7, 2007 for the last time Arsenal lost three straight league fixtures. They finished with only 68 points that year, 21 points off the pace.

Birmingham News and Notes

• The Blues only have one injury! I am so jealous! James McFadden is out for a while with an ACL injury.
• Birmingham have only won once in seven fixtures this year, but they've also drawn four.
• Their home loss to Everton two weeks ago was their first such loss at home in over a year.
• However, they have not won a league fixture away from home since a 2-1 win at Portsmouth on March 9.

Match Facts

• Arsenal won this fixture 3-1 last year: Arsenal scored twice in two minutes to take a 2-0 lead, Lee Bowyer pegged one back for the Blues before Arshavin sealed the points in the 84th. Vito Mannone started in goal for the Gunners.
• This fixture also happened to be the exact same weekend last year. How weird!!
• Birmingham City has not won in their last six league attempts against Arsenal, though they have drawn three. The last two of those draws, both at St. Andrews, came with the Blues equalizing dramatically in injury time.
• Birmingham have not won at Arsenal since a 3-1 win on October 19, 1957. Since then, Arsenal has won 17 times at home against the Blues and have drawn nine.

The Referee

• The referee is Martin Atkinson.
• The last time Arsenal saw Atkinson, he was the fourth official at Sunderland, when there were 842 extra seconds was a controversial amount of injury time allowed the Black Cats to equalize. Then, Arsene Wenger shoved him and got suspended for a match.
• He has also been involved in the officiating crew in the last three instances where an Arsenal player has been shown a red card. So, looks like someone's getting sent off Saturday. Any bets? I'm taking Jack Wilshere.

Around the League

• Saturday: Bolton Wanderers v. Stoke City; Reebok Stadium, Bolton
• Saturday: Fulham v. Tottenham Hotspur; Craven Cottage, London
• Saturday: Manchester United v. West Bromwich Albion; Old Trafford, Manchester
• Saturday: Newcastle United v. Wigan Athletic; St. James' Park, Newcastle uponTyne
• Saturday: Wolverhampton Wanderers v. West Ham United; Molineux, Wolverhampton
• Saturday: Aston Villa v. Chelsea; Villa Park, Birmingham
• Sunday: Everton v. Liverpool; Goodison Park, Liverpool
• Sunday: Blackpool v. Manchester City; Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
• Monday: Blackburn Rovers v. Sunderland; Ewood Park, Blackburn